Stupidity (otherwise known as Comedy) and the British Media do not go hand in hand

Almost everyone has as Microsoft account. Regardless of it hotmail/msn/live or whatever else you sign up to. The irritating thing is, when you login (if you have a UK account) is the silly thing tells you what is laughing referred to as "news".

For example, yesterday - "Mike Tyson proposes to Big Brother's Aisleyne"

Today - "BBC 'regrets' Chris Moyles jokes"

The self hailed "Saviour of Radio One" is trouble for making rather inappropriate jokes. They weren't funny and I'm not even going to bother to repeat them because they were at best - dumb (see msn.co.uk).

What gets my goat (if I had one) is the stupidity of the man. The one thing that ITV's Tough Gig (a highly underrated show) has taught us is this - KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!

I've not been in the country and even I know that if you are being broadcast (even more so if its live) you need to be careful of what you say and anticipate the reaction to it. Which is now I'm about to launch into an tirade that is 3 months late but (it seems) still relevant:

The Russell Brand and Andrew Sachs Affair

First off, I am neither a fan of Brand or Ross and in terms of how this affects them I already know the answer (not a single bit). However, the whole hoo haa surrounding the pair ringing up Andrew Sachs and leaving messages on his answerphone was not their fault.

I completely agree that it was an insanely stupid thing to do for which, the two, like naughty schoolboys brought before the headmaster, apologised for. The incident should have been dealt with by internal review with the recording never seeing the light of day. That is what producers are for.

Producers (whether for TV, Film or Radio) are the parents of a product. They nurture its well being and nip bad behaviour in the bud so that the end result can flourish and be something to be proud of when it graduates into the world become what is referred to as "culture". When a child is always the reflection of the parents. It's true that one cannot always prevent the happenings of a live broadcast however with a prerecord there is no excuse.

Even so the the production company of the now infamous show are not solely to blame. If producers are the parents, then broadcasters are the teachers, police and politicians. Of course I am speaking metaphorically and not literally. They stop this behaviour from being the norm and decide what is respectable to be broadcast. The clue is in the name. In this respect, I hate to say it but the BBC have done appallingly.

However, rather than jump on the bandwagon that is being driven by the Daily Mail in an attempt to return to the "Golden Age" of comedy and restrict the TV licence I say that the BBC has treated its 'talent' (I use the term loosely) again appallingly. Now scared by everything, the Corporation is self editing to within an inch of its life, trying to shift the blame. The following news stories regarding Jeremy Clarkson, or Frankie Boyle (which to be fair was mentioned in a segment called "what the Queen would never say") were for the most part completely unnecessary, not to mention the publicity whoring that Sachs' own granddaughter put herself through.

The BBC has done more for culture, education, entertainment and comedy than the Daily Mail have or ever will do and it is disappointing that a tabloid has decided to try and destroy that.

In a week where everyone will be looking more closely at what is spilling out of the "electronic babysitters" as a result of Ross' return to our screens and Brand's return to Blighty, Moyles should be hit with a gigantic stick for not taking care of every idiot syllable that falls from his lips. And that is not because I do not like his show. He could be on TV and Radio 24/7 and I still wouldn't write into OFCOM. I would do the rational thing and switch off.

We are now in a post Sachsgate Britain where if you think you are funny and entertaining, you will be monitored. If what you broadcast is likely to make offence - do the decent thing and SHUT UP! It's not difficult. Or at least wait until the country is sane again and the Daily found another campaign to flog.

To all those complaining that as a result of the TV licence, one does not have a choice, you do - There are buildings dying out across Britain that are filled with things that one can hold, understand and are surprisingly portable. They are called libraries and the objects are books. If you really want to go back to a "Golden Age" I suggest you check them out.